1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rail joints and, more particularly, to a rail joint having a rolled profiled bar.
2. Description of Related Art
Railroad rails used in the railroad industry are typically formed of a plurality of railroad rail sections joined together by rail joints. As shown in FIG. 1, a prior art rail joint 10 positioned between a first railroad rail 12 and a second railroad rail 14 is used to hold two ends 13, 15 of the railroad rails 12 and 14, respectively, in place. A plurality of holes 16 are defined in the rail joint 10, wherein the holes 16 are adapted to receive fasteners, such as a bolt and nut arrangement, for securing the rail joint 10 to the railroad rails 12, 14. The rail joint 10 prevents lateral and/or vertical movement of the rail ends 13, 15 of the railroad rails 12, 14 and permits the longitudinal movement of the railroad rails 12, 14 for expanding or contracting. Prior art rail joints have various strength requirements, as well as weight requirements set by the railroad industry. It is desirable to have a rail joint that is inexpensive to manufacture while having a maximum amount of strength for a minimum amount of weight per joint.
Further, due to technological advances in rail grinding and lubrication, present rail structures are lasting longer, thereby allowing more usable wear out of the rail heads than in the earlier constructed rail structures. This results in a decrease in distance between the rail head and a top portion of the rail joint, thus resulting in the possibility of the vehicle wheels contacting the rail joint, thereby causing premature failure of the rail joint. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above problems and to provide a strong rail joint that is inexpensive to manufacture.